The National Marine Fisheries Service is
the federal agency responsible for protecting marine mammals under the
Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of
1973. In order to protect the whales from harassment and to promote a better
understanding of the need to avoid harassment, the following are guidelines
for safe, non-disruptive whale watching.

Vessels should not be operated at speeds faster than a whale or group
of whales while paralleling them within 100 yards.

Vessels should be operated at a constant speed while paralleling or
following whales within 100 yards.

Vessels should do nothing to cause the whale to change directions.

Aircraft should not fly lower than 1,000 feet while within a horizontal
distance of 100 yards from a whale.

In general, the normal behavior should not be interrupted. To interrupt
whales' normal activities constitutes harassment and is against the law.